There are various rounds in Caribbean Stud Poker. The order of these rounds is as per follows: Placing the ante. First, all players must place an ante bet. You can also place a separate bet if you wish to play for the jackpot. After the ante bets have been placed, all the players and the dealer receive five cards each. The first rule of Caribbean Stud Poker is that there is to be only one hand per player and players are not able to wager or hold on multiple hands at the table. Also, during the game players are not allowed to talk or communicate in any way to the dealer or the other players about the hand. Caribbean Stud Poker is an entertaining and straightforward table game that is popular in land-based casinos as well as online casinos. At the start, the player places his Ante Bet. It needs to be at least $€ 1 (the minimum bet) and cannot exceed $€ 1,000 (the maximum bet). Besides the Ante Bet, he can choose to bet on the side bet.

Caribbean Poker is a kind of poker which is common in modern casinos and implying playing a game against the dealer. The common name of the Caribbean poker is Oasis Poker.

History

Caribbean poker prototype originated in the 1500s. Then there were 3 card games, known in Spain as Primero, but which had different names for the British, Germans and French. In this game, there were such combinations as Three of a kind, Pair and 3 suited cards. The latter was referred to as Flux, but soon evolved into Flush. In the 1700s, the game changed so that betting and a choice of inflating ability were added.
The game hit the shores of the current United States, presumably in the 1700s and was brought in by the French. The huge success of the game led to the fact that in the 19th century it moved to the northern territories.

Rules of the Game

Players in Caribbean Poker must collect a stronger combination of cards than the dealer. The rules of Caribbean poker assume the player’s compulsory betting ante before the dealer distributes five cards. Only the last card out of all the cards dealt is opened – the one belonging to the dealer.

After analyzing the cards, the player decides to bet, replace cards or fold. At the same time, the ante rate is lost. Participants in the game reveal their cards. If the dealer has no Ace and the King or another poker hand, the player picks up the winnings in the ante regardless of the cards collected. If the dealer has a combination of Ace and King, the participants’ cards are compared. The winner is the owner of the senior combination.

Caribbean Poker Stud

The winner receives a win at the ante bet based on the ratio 1: 1. At bet, the payment is calculated in accordance with the table:

• Royal Flush – 100: 1
• Straight Flush – 50: 1
• Four-of-a-kind – 20: 1
• Full – 7: 1
• Flash – 5: 1
• Straight – 4: 1
• Three of a kind – 3: 1
• Two pairs – 2: 1
• Pair – 1: 1
• Ace-King – 1: 1

In case of equal results, the player and dealer have to pay attention to the cards that took part in the combinations to determine the winner. Different cards are important for different combinations:

• Ace-King. In this case, the winner will be the one whose eldest is the third card. If it is identical, then players look at the fourth, and so on;
• The pair is the same as the previous combination. The third card solves everything further;
• Two pairs – players compare the older pair. If this did not help, the fifth card helps to understand the situation;
• Straight Flush – the winner is revealed by the most senior card.

Boxes in Caribbean Poker

The poker table in Oasis poker consists of six boxes. Cards are distributed to the boxes five-up. The player chooses from one to three boxes out of six, placing the Ante and the main bet on the third. Bets on different boxes are made independently of each other.

In the process of playing each box, the player makes different decisions. Each box is also paid separately.

Jackpot

In most casinos, Caribbean Stud poker players are given the opportunity to win a jackpot, which can be progressive or fixed. To do this, before the cards are dealt, you need to bet on a special field. Payouts and jackpot conditions may vary, but usually, you need to get some big combination from the deal. More details about the rules of jackpot draws should be specified directly in the casino.

Caribbean Poker Bonuses

Caribbean poker rules often give you an extra win – a bonus. To try your luck, the player must place an additional bet before the cards are dealt. The bonus is paid if the player from the hand receives a combination from a set or higher (sometimes from a street, depending on the rules of the casino). The bonus is paid according to a separate payout table. The bonus is paid even if the dealer has a higher combination and the player’s main bet loses. If the combination giving the right to receive a bonus does not come from the deal, the bet on the bonus loses. If a player makes a card exchange, the dealer takes the bonus bet.

Player Tips

The process of evaluating dealt cards is to analyze the strength of poker hands. In Caribbean poker, there are ten meaningful hands and a situation where no hand has formed. The components and names of the combinations are similar to the main types of poker. The only difference is that the suits in this game do not matter. Tambourine and club street will have the same value.

Caribbean poker is the most profitable for a player in terms of the size of wins. However, this is offset by the maximum dealer advantage over the player for all types of poker – 5.2%. However, there are a number of recommendations that increase the chances of success and reduce the chance of failure:

1. Play only if a pair or a better combination has arrived;
2. You’d better throw up your cards if they are lower than the king or ace;
3. If the cards are good, then the game should continue under the following circumstances:

• the dealer has a card lower than the king and the player has a similar one;
• the dealer discovered the king or ace but the player holds a jack or a queen;
• if the player does not have a card suitable for the dealer, but there is a queen, and the fourth card is higher than the open one.

Caribbean Poker in The UK

Caribbean poker in the UK and Europe is different from American. Here the game is called “Casino Five Card Stud Poker”. In addition, not all gambling establishments play the jackpot. The latter are referred to as the “Casino Jackpot Five Card Stud Poker”. In both cases, the game is referred to as Casino Stud Poker.

In the British version, the rules are the same as in the USA, but the payouts are different – the maximum bet is 100 pounds for ante and 200 for a raise, and all payments are made on a raise. That is, a player can get up to 10 thousand pounds (Royal Flush is paid in the same way as Straight Flush – 50 to 1).

Jackpot casinos use special machines to shuffle cards, while smaller establishments do it manually.

If the dealer has not shown the Ace / King, then when playing the jackpot the player must reveal the cards. If the player does not participate in the jackpot, then the cards are not revealed.

Back in the 1990s, Caribbean Stud Poker was all the rage. The clever little fusion of traditional Five-Card Stud and house-banked table gaming took the industry by storm after being introduced in the late ‘80s.

At one point, you couldn’t reach your blackjack table without bumping into a crowd of rabid Caribbean Stud Poker fanatics.

Over time, the game’s popularity waned, thanks in large part to a “new wave” of hybrid table games that expanded on the classic Caribbean Stud template. Popular table games of the modern era like Mississippi Stud Poker, Three-Card Poker, and Let It Ride all owe their inspiration to Caribbean Stud Poker.

Today, you’ll only find the game spread in two Las Vegas casinos, the Venetian and the Palazzo. Fortunately, the best online casino platforms out there have Caribbean Stud Poker.

To help you play your best game, I’ve compiled three Caribbean Stud Poker rules and strategies that most modern players don’t know much about.

1 – That Second Raise Bet Only Gets Paid When the Dealer “Qualifies”

Once, when I was enjoying a Caribbean Stud Poker session by my lonesome, a hotshot businessman wearing Armani from head to toe sat down in the next seat over. I was betting $5 red chips and he pulls out $100 black chips from his pocket, giving me a little look of derision as he upped the table ante.

A few hands passed by in silence before the following deal took place.

Mr. Hotshot gets his five cards and immediately makes the raise bet for $200 more, his hands almost shaking as he slides the stack forward. My cards are trash, and the dealer is showing the ace of spades anyhow, so I fold quickly, anxious to see what’s in store on the showdown.

Sure enough, Mr. Hotshot turns over the mother of all poker hands, A-K-Q-J-10, all in hearts, for a natural royal flush.

“Yeah, baby! Gimme the money! That’s a royal, gimme my 20 grand!”

I catch the dealer’s eye for a moment, then see a sly smirk flash for just an instant, and I know instantly what’s coming next. The dealer turns over his hand one card at a time, adding the lowly 2-5-7-Q combo in rainbow suits to his ace of spades.

“Dealer doesn’t qualify sir, it’s a push on the raise bet. But you did win $100 on the ante bet. Congratulations.”

The “congrats” was delivered with nothing but contempt, and I could’ve sworn Mr. Hotshot’s head was going to explode.

He berated the dealer, unleashing a stream of obscenities. Like I said, one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen…

So, here’s what happened. If you scan the following pay table, Mr. Hotshot’s $200 raise bet was indeed eligible for a $20,000 payout at 100 to 1 odds.

Caribbean Stud Poker Rules

Caribbean Stud Pay Table

*Only paid when dealer has a qualifying hand of A-K high or better

But as the all-important asterisk makes clear, those raise bet “bonus” payouts are only awarded when the dealer shows down a qualifying hand. And in Caribbean Stud Poker, a qualifying dealer hand must be ranked at A-K high or better.

That might not seem quite fair if you’re just now learning the game, but Caribbean Stud Poker can be a cruel mistress.

Of course, after he calmed down a half-hour later, I eventually pointed out to Mr. Hotshot that his royal flush could’ve been worth even more. Had he tossed a measly $1 chip down on the progressive jackpot side bet, that lightning strike longshot of a hand would’ve paid out $125,000 and change.

He didn’t though… And now that I think back on it, that was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen on the casino floor.

2 – The Best Strategy Is to Avoid the Progressive Jackpot Side Bet

Speaking of the progressive jackpot side bet, all it takes is an extra $1 chip to become eligible for the following commonly found pay tables:

Common Caribbean Stud Poker Progressive Jackpot Pay Tables

Many newcomers to Caribbean Stud Poker bet on the progressive by default, seeking a safeguard against the nightmare scenario Mr. Hotshot likely never lived down. And indeed, this optional wager removes the dealer qualification caveat, so if you hit gin with a royal flush or straight flush, the dealer’s hand doesn’t matter, you’re a massive winner.

Unfortunately for players, this side bet is truly awful in terms of expected return. With a house edge of 26.46%, it’s among the worst offered in all of casino gambling. I’m talking “as bad as keno” worse, or “three times as bad as the hard eight in craps.”

If you want to play Caribbean Stud Poker strategically, skipping the progressive jackpot side bet every time out is a great place to start.

3 – Playing Perfect Strategy Involves a Simple Three-Rule System

Based on your five-card starting hand’s relative worth, you should always know whether a fold or a raise bet is the right play.

And here’s how you do it.

• With any hand ranked at A-K-J-8-3 or better (one pair; A-K-Q-x-x; A-K-J-9-x; etc.), you should ALWAYS make the raise bet.
• And with any hand ranked at A-K-J-8-2 or worse (A-Q-x-x-x; A-K-10-x-x; A-K-J-7-x; etc.), you should ALWAYS fold.

Caribbean Poker Rules

Yep, believe it or not, that about does it for Caribbean Stud Poker’s optimal strategy.

When you play using these guidelines, the house edge and element of risk for the game come to 5.32% and 2.60%, respectively.

Conclusion

As you can probably tell if you made it this far, I really do love Caribbean Stud Poker. The game just has an elegance that its later derivatives simply can’t match.

Caribbean Poker Strategy

It’s a shame to see my favorite “fun” table game go by the wayside of late, but with a rebirth in the offing thanks to online casinos, I hope learning about the rules and strategies presented here serve you well down the road.